Out of Thin Air
by Trepidation Chance
Summary: All Annabeth wanted was to get the hell out of there. All Percy did was walk into trouble. All Grover did was bleat in amusement.


Annabeth walked into the forest, creeping past trees that stood erect, like guards protecting secrets. Branches caressed her lovingly, almost in comfort as their leaves stroked her battle scars. The earthy scent of the woods filled her lungs, greedily taking deep breaths. The wildness embraced her; she wasn't suited to the buzzing cities, hyper with constant concussive sounds. Honks of cars would speed across her as she dashed away from _them_, offering no assistance. The air was filled with poisons, tainted her nose with smells of blood, rust and decomposition; death. Here, there were no obstacles, no corruption and no lies.

Suddenly she heard an audible shuffle among the dry crumbly leaves, sniffing noises echoed in the distance. Freezing in fear, she focused on her surroundings, hoping that she wasn't yet found by the hunter. Deciding her best course of action, her grey eyes shifted side to side, making sure she wouldn't receive any unwanted surprises. Carefully, she slowly backed away from the foreign noise, unaware of the twig branch under her foot before it was too late.

**_CRACK!_**

Internally cringing at her fatal mistake, she spared no time waiting for her death. She spun around, evacuating into the thicket of bushes directly behind her. She held her breath, desperate not to make even a squeak. Heavy huffs of breath were distinct from the careful swaying of the foliage, causing her to squirm inside. She continued to onto her breath, terrified that one release of the waste in her lungs would disrupt the silence that hid her. Covering onto her mouth with the sweaty palms of her hands, she stilled her movements, mentally begging the monster to leave. She clawed at her cheeks, feeling like she was suffocating under water. She frantically needed air. She couldn't hold on anymore.

Before she had the chance to exhale, there was a sudden tug on her shoulder, pulling her back before a clawed hand crushed her head. She was dragged into another bush, hiding her from the beast. Releasing her breath, she was prepared to scream until her eyes met ocean deep green. The mysterious boy placed his index finger on his lips, asking for not only silence, but also her trust and patience with the one gesture. She immediately nodded, which brought a sweet smile to his face.

He then looked up, visibly scowling at the huffs of steam emerging from the creature's mouth. Slowly, he reached into his pocket, pulling out a bronze pen. He swiftly uncapped it, jumping out from behind the bushed and straight at the bull. She peeked over the hedges, first noticing the pen had miraculously transformed into a sword. Second, the boy had a bottle of water attached to his leg. She watched them fight, noticing his lithe movements. He and the Minotaur ran at each other, both earning grazes and cuts.

She continued to watch, noting the unusual ripples in the water bottle. Suddenly, it exploded. Shrapnel flew everywhere, but not a single drop of water sprayed her. Training her eyes back at the boy, she noticed a ball of water, floating around his body. It seemed to rub out the many wounds he had received, almost like an eraser. He jumped back into action, not waiting for all his injuries to heal.

_What the hell did I get myself into?_

It wasn't long before the enemy was defeated, evaporating into thin golden dust and drifted back down into Tartarus. Proud with his job done, Percy looked back at the bushed where the girl sat still, expecting a scream of terror, only to receive eyes of wonder. Curious. Whenever he saved damsels in distress, they tended to picture him to be a deadly enemy too. Maybe, it's because they also tended to be mortal. This girl though, she was different.

_We all are_, he thought.

It seemed obvious that she was also a demi-god, but how was he to break the news to her? He can't go straight out, like Grover did. The girl wouldn't appreciate the bluntness at all. But maybe she wouldn't like the 'beating around the bush' business either. After all, she was currently sitting behind one. What should he say?

_Hey, did you know you're a half human, half god hybrid? Or, boy, did you land yourself in a dump? You're the same as me, a demigod!_

"Are you the same as me?"

He heard the faint question, bringing his thoughts to an end. Surprised, he looked to his right and left, making sure that there were no monsters that could make a sudden attack. Facing her, he lowered his hand, waiting for her to grab it. Wait he did, as she only looked at his hand quizzically, like it had grown warts.

"Do you want a hand getting up?" He asked. Impatience wasn't going to help oil the truth, so he may as well act as gentlemanly as he could. Hearing the gears in her head click, she grasped his hand and allowed him to pull her up. Her blond hair tumbled out of the hair tie it was originally, falling over her shoulders like a cascading waterfall. Now, give him some credit here. He's doing pretty well for a growing teen.

Her grey eyes pierce his green ones, demanding questions to be answered.

"Well…" he started, "what exactly do you mean by _same_?"

She shook her head in thought. "I guess, _different_ from others? Do you also have ADHD and dyslexia? Dad said there were others, but never in my life did I think I would be saved by one. Whose son are you…"

He raised a hand, successfully silencing her. Eyebrows furrowed, he processed all the questions that were suddenly fed into his head. He could only recall phrases.

_Different, ADHD and dyslexia, dad said…_

"Wait, your dad? What do you mean your dad said there were others?"

"Well, it's exactly as it sounds. I asked for answers and he told me willingly. I know I'm the daughter of Athena, the Goddess of Wisdom, which I'm thankful for. Imagine if I were the daughter of Ares. Not good." She shivered, grossed out by the image of a buff version of herself.

"Okay then… Well, yes, I'm the same as you. Yes, I have ADHD and dyslexia, but those are useful for us demigods. Answering your earlier question, I'm the son of Poseidon. Anyway, let's move away from here. Not safe."

When they passed the barrier, Grover immediately smelt out the familiar scent of sea salt and a curious waft of inked paper. Standing up from his seat, he trotted to the entrance of the camp, ready to greet both Percy and the newcomer. What he didn't have in mind was the tension in the atmosphere was they walked in.

"Are you an idiot? Just because I'm the son of Poseidon, doesn't mean I can suddenly whip out water from thin air!"

"Well, technically, the 'thin air' you call is actually quite dense with _water _vapour! Maybe you _can_ whip out some water from 'thin air'!"

Resting his hand on his forehead, he sighed, causing the two unsuspecting disputers to turn around and face him.

"Oh. Hey, Grover! How was your day?" Percy greeted him, only to be shoved away by the new girl.

"My Gods! Is that a satyr? Is it hard to walk with goat legs? I suppose you've lived with them your whole life, so you may not feel uncomfortable…" She continued to inspect him like he was a dissected frog, making him feel awkward.

"I'm feeling uncomfortable now… Anyway, welcome! This is both residence and haven for demigods like yourself, young lady." He started walking, gesturing the other two to follow him. "I assume you didn't come here with a satyr, with your previous reaction. Well, come with me and I'll introduce you to your new cabin. You'll be staying in Cabin Eleven, also known as Hermes' Cabin." He was given a questioning gaze, which he answered to. "You'll be moved out once you have been claimed by your parent and…there we go." Grover pointed above girl's head.

As she looked up, she saw a faint glow of silver, shaped in the royal shape of an owl.

_Athena has claimed her_.

"Okay, change of plans. I'm taking you to Cabin Six. Anyway, sorry for being rude, but I believe I've never heard your name."

"It's Annabeth. And you're Grover?" If she recalled properly, that's what Poseidon's son called him.

"Yep! Feel free to call me if you need a tour. Or ol' Percy here can do it. He's the longest camper to stick around." Running off, he left Annabeth and Percy together in front of Athena's Cabin.

"What is this place called anyway? I didn't catch the name."

Percy smiled knowingly. He could get used to the curious questions.

"Camp Half Blood."


End file.
